


But First, Coffee

by GroveGrocer



Category: The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Comfort, Domestic, Fever, M/M, Sick Alec Lightwood, Sickfic, Vomiting, Whump, not graphic though, this is so self indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:48:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26021443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GroveGrocer/pseuds/GroveGrocer
Summary: Magnus finds Alec asleep on the bathroom floor after a long night.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 8
Kudos: 176





	But First, Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> I finally got the barest spark of inspiration to write after quarantine completely killed my motivation. Here's to hoping I can finally finish Imitation soon!
> 
> Also massive shoutout to @Donovanspen for their whumptober 2019 for giving me the motivation for this and inspiration to write at all. 
> 
> Hope you guys like it!

Magnus blinked awake to the first light of the morning creeping across his bedroom floor. His vision was still hazy with sleep so he shut his eyes once more, relishing in the feeling of the silk sheets against his face. 

His eyes opened, brow furrowed as he realized he was alone in bed, the covers next to him disheveled as though hastily thrown back. 

Magnus sat up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes and running a hand through his hair as he tried to expedite the process of waking up. He reached out to scan his wards and felt nothing out of the ordinary. All presences accounted for. 

He swung his feet off the bed, slippers appearing on them before they hit the ground, and hurried to the bathroom. 

Just as expected, Magnus found Alec on the ground in front of the toilet. What he hadn’t expected was to find him asleep, curled up on the white rug with a bathroom towel haphazardly pulled under his head as a pillow. 

Magnus leaned against the doorframe, heart heavy at Alec’s pale and waxy complexion yet tainted with relief at his peaceful expression and steady rise and fall of his ribs. 

Alec had stumbled in the front door the evening before flushed and exhausted, waving Magnus away as he tried to fret over him. He had immediately abandoned his gear and shed his clothes down to his underwear in a pile on the bedroom floor before crawling into bed. Magnus trailed after him, hovering nearby and attempting to assist, only emboldened by Alec’s unusual standoffish attitude. 

Only then once Alec was stationary, Magnus had an unimpeded chance to reach out with his magic and discover that not only was Alec not fine as insisted, he was shivering with fever and nursing a terrible stomach ache. Magnus tutted about Alec’s Spartan need to hide his illnesses and why couldn’t he just let Magnus take care of him without a fuss just once before taking mercy on Alec’s drawn expression and deciding to let it slide just this once. 

Magnus perched carefully on the edge of the bed by Alec and summoned medication and a glass of water, encouraging him to take them even as Alec made a childish face and wrinkled his nose. The medication eventually went down and Magnus praised him, although Alec seemed to have stopped listening the moment Magnus smoothed a hand over his forehead and hair, relishing in the cool touch to his feverish face. 

Despite Alec’s being asleep by eight that night, neither slept more than an hour at a time as, just as soon as they had fallen asleep, the throwing up had begun. Alec hadn’t made it to the bathroom the first time, too delirious with fever and sleep, but Magnus had simply waved a hand and the duvet was clean once more. Alec’s fervent apologies were only met with quiet murmurs of love and a soothing hand on his damp back. 

Now, Magnus stood fully once more and quietly padded over to Alec’s sleeping form, crouching by him. A seed of guilt grew in his stomach as he realized Alec probably hadn’t wanted to wake him for what felt like the hundredth time the night before and had ended up feeling too weak to get back to bed after heaving up what was left of his stomach contents. 

He gently touched Alec’s shoulder, not wanting to startle him. Alec had been trained from birth to wake like a soldier, quickly and without production, but when he was sick it was a different story. Alec blinked awake, seeming to not process what was happening, and laid for a moment with his eyes unfocused. 

“Hello sweetheart.” Magnus whispered, hoping to ground him. It seemed to work. Alec slowly turned his head up to look at him and his face softened. 

“Didn’t want to wake you.” Alec slurred, closing his eyes again and resting his head back against the ground, as though it had taken the last of his energy. 

“You didn’t.” Magnus gently touched his hand to Alec’s forehead and let him lean into the touch, taking the brunt of the heat emanating off of his face. He gave Alec a moment to rest before quietly suggesting, “Why don’t we get you off the floor?”

Alec hummed in response, not opening his eyes. 

“I could carry you?” 

“Mm-mm.” Alec replied petulantly, but opened his eyes and sat up with great effort and Magnus’ hand guiding him up. 

He leaned heavily against Magnus’ shoulder for a moment and Magnus could imagine that he was waiting for the room to stop spinning before he could get up fully. 

The process back to bed was slow and careful but Alec’s face relaxed in relief as he finally sunk into the sheets. He was none too pleased that Magnus wouldn’t let him return to blissful sleep until he coaxed down more bitter potions that Magnus had stirred together in a haze of sleep the first time Alec had woken throwing up, seeing that the mundane medications hadn’t had any effect. 

Once Magnus was content that Alec had at least the chance to begin to absorb the medication, even if he ended up throwing up an hour later again, he waited a few minutes for Alec to fall back asleep before standing gently. 

He headed to the kitchen, set on at least attempting to make a breakfast that Alec would be able to keep down, intent on calling Catarina if things progressed. But first, coffee. 

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to comment if you liked it! It is so massively appreciated.


End file.
